Isle of Man — Transportation

Isle of Man Taxis and Car Rental

Taxi cabs are based in most towns around the Isle of Man and can be pre-booked from any private phone, pay phone or free phone in the supermarkets. There are taxi stands at Douglas Bus Centre on Lords Street, Ronaldsway Airport, and Douglas Sea Port, which operates during times of arriving ferries. A few well-known companies are A1 Taxi Group Limited (+44-1624-674-488) and Express Taxis (+44-1624-662-211)

Private car rental can be arranged from within the airport’s terminal building or from a number of locations in the capital, Douglas. Three reputable options are Athol Car Hire, Isle of Man Car Hire and Mylchreests Car Hire.

Isle of Man Ferries

The Steam Packet Company operates ferry services to the Isle of Man from Heysham, Liverpool, Dublin and Belfast. Travelers can choose between the conventional ferry, the Ben-my-Chree, which operates year-round from Birkenhead, Heysham, Dublin and Belfast or the fast craft, Manannan, which runs between March and November from Liverpool, Dublin and Belfast. On both ships you’ll find a small selection of shops, cafes and bars, as well as executive lounges if you are looking to travel in style. Pets are also allowed on some routes.

Isle of Man Trains and Buses

The Isle of Man has an extensive bus network which serves the whole Island on a regular basis including Ronaldsway Airport and the Sea Terminal in Douglas. Beware of arriving too early or too late as buses may not run, but there are late night operations on Friday and Saturday evenings which serves all major towns.

The Isle of Man boasts three heritage railways – the Manx Electric Railway, Steam Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway, all of which are reasonably priced and offer the visitor a unique way to explore the island.

Discount tickets are available for unlimited travel on scheduled bus routes and Explorer tickets allow unlimited travel on all railroads, the Douglas Horse Trams and most bus services. Tickets and schedules are available from main bus and railway stations and the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal.